THE DAGLIGTALE The Augustana Faculty, University of Alberta Student Newspaper
February 10, 2014
Volume 28, Issue 9
Augustana Biathletes’ Universiade Experience
In this issue: Page 2 Kisses 4 CANFAR Alberta Jobs Page 3 Curling Regionals Power Parking Page 4 SOTU ASA Elections Page 5 Nordlys Festival Yoga Challenge Page 6 Olympic News GMG Page 7 Submissions Page 8 Calendar Book Review
Next Submission Deadline: Monday, Feb 17 Office: Forum L1-002
Ryan Burlingame in action at the 2013 Trentino Winter Universiade. PHOTO: Lowell Niven
Megan Alderdice DAG WRITER While it is known that the athletics department at Augustana is riddled with talent, the extent of our athletes’ abilities is not always clear. However, the fact that four of Augustana’s athletes were chosen to represent the country at the 2013 Winter Universiade serves to remind us how much potential the students here possess. Four student athletes from Augustana traveled to Italy in December to represent Canada in the 26th FISU Universiade Winter Games. Jennifer Paterson, Nick Lenko, Ryan Burlingame, and Keely MacCullough participated as members of Canada’s biathlon team. The members were chosen based on their results in the national competition the year prior. Several other athletes from across Canada were chosen members of the biathlon team as well, from Quebec, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan. The Universiade, which took place from December 10th to the 21st, is an international multisport event targeted towards university students. To compete, you must be at least 17 and no older than 28 as of January 1 in the year of the
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Games. Competitors must also be enrolled full-time at a post-secondary institution, or have graduated one year prior to the event. The Games take place every two years. This year, the Games were held in Trentino, Italy. The various competitions included freestyle skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, curling, crosscountry skiing, ski jumping, figure skating, Nordic combined skiing, alpine skiing, short track speed skating, and biathlon. The biathlon event was large, consisting of a series of four races. The first race was an individual one where competitors raced the clock in an arduous 20 kilometer course (15 kilometers for women). The athletes completed 5 laps with each lap being 4 kilometers in length. Between each lap, the athletes would shoot at a target, and any missed shots would result in a one minute penalty. The second race was a sprint, which was also a race against time. The competitors completed three laps over 10 kilometers (7.5 kilometers for women) and shot twice at any shooting lane, for a total of 10
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shots. Any missed result in a penalty loop of 150 meters. Next was the pursuit where the competitors race against each other, with those who did the best in the sprint starting first. The distance was 12.5 kilometres for men and 10 kilometres for women, skied over five laps. The athlete to cross the finish line first is the winner. The fourth race was a mixed relay, in which a team of four from each country consisting of two men and two women. The first two legs of the race, which are 6 kilometers each, are done by the women while the last two 7.5 kilometer legs are done by the men. The first-leg participants start all at the same time, and every athlete of a team must touch the team's nextleg participant to perform a valid changeover. For the highest ranking 30 competitors, there comes an additional race: the mass start. This is where all 30 biathletes begin at the same time and the first across the finish line wins. The race is 15 kilometers in length for the men, and 12.5 kilometers for the women. It consists of five laps with four bouts of shooting, and every missed
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shot results in a penalty loop of 150 meters. For Ryan Burlingame, the 2013 Winter Universiade marked his first trip across seas. He described the trip as “thrilling”, while noting in particular how connected the towns in the province of Trentino were. “You could ski from town to town”, he stated. Burlingame also reflected on the incredible opening and closing ceremonies of the Universiade. “Canada was the second most cheered for team in the opening ceremonies”, he remarked, “with the home country of Italy being the first.” He also commented on how prominent dance was throughout the ceremonies. Based on his experience, it’s apparent to Burlingame that Italians love dancing. Canada finished the Universiade with eight medals: two gold, three silver, and three bronze. It marks the best tally for Canada at the Winter Universiade Games since 2003 in Tarvisio, Italy. The gold medals came from the men and women’s hockey teams. Overall Canada ranked 13th out of 30 countries competing in Trentino.
Editors: Ian Anderson & Robyn Sheremeta
2 | February 10, 2014| The Dagligtale ASA to Raise Money for Kisses For CANFAR Lee Metrunec DAG WRITER February 1st to 15th marks the Kisses 4 CANFAR campaign, a national movement that is designed with two main goals. It raises awareness of HIV and AIDS, as HIV infections can be prevented with a proper knowledge of the virus, and how it is transmitted. Kisses 4 CANFAR also raises funds for HIV and AIDS research; CANFAR has raised over $18 million so far. HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) affects the immune system, and when an HIV infection is left untreated, it can lead to AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency system). HIV can only be transmitted through bodily fluids, and cannot be passed on like a common cold, through coughing or sneezing. After infection, usually no symptoms are present, and therefore the only way to know if you are infected is to take an HIV test. Tests are available in most hospitals and health clinics, as well as at Planned Parenthood health centers. A second option is to buy an HIV home test kit, which are available in many drugstores or online. CANFAR is the only independent charitable foundation in Canada that is dedicated to eliminating AIDS through research. Since 1987, when the charity was first formed, there have been many CANFAR-funded breakthroughs in HIV/AIDS research. The knowledge we have about prevention and treatment is extremely useful, but there is only one way to
completely eradicate the disease. CANFAR’s ultimate goal is to help find a cure for AIDS, and this can only be made possible through funding research. To learn more about CANFAR and the research they do, you can visit their website: www.canfar.com. The Kisses 4 CANFAR campaign asks Canadians to wear red lips (red lipstick, kiss tattoos, etc.) for the first two weeks of February, to help raise awareness for HIV/ AIDS, in the hopes that we will soon be able to kiss the disease goodbye. Here at Augustana, kiss tattoos will be available at different locations around campus, along with a donation box. Anny Chowdhury is one of the First Year Representatives on the Augustana Students’ Association, and is one of the members involved in promoting the Kisses 4 CANFAR campaign. She stated that the boxes were placed out on January 31st, and that students and staff will have until the 15th of February to make donations to CANFAR, and receive kiss tattoos. 100% of the funds raised will be put towards HIV/AIDS research that is funded by CANFAR. In addition to taking donations, the ASA has decided to incorporate Valentine’s Day into the campaign by selling candy grams. You can show your feelings this year by buying a Crush (soda) for your crush, Chowdhury says. From February 10th to the 13th, the ASA will be sell-
ing candy grams in the forum. For $1, you can buy a Crush orange, grape, or cream soda, to send to a fellow student at Augustana. The proceeds from this will also go towards Kisses 4 CANFAR. The sodas will be distributed on Valentine’s Day, February 14th. The Augustana’s Got Talent show is also doubling as a fundraiser, and the proceeds from it will also be included in the funds raised for Kisses 4 CANFAR. Augustana’s Got Talent will take place at the Rusty Spur in downtown Camrose on February 13th. The event starts at 7:30 pm, and tickets are just $2. Not only will you be
able to participate in a funfilled evening, but you will be supporting HIV/AIDS research at the same time. As this is the first year that Augustana is participating in Kisses 4 CANFAR, Chowdhury notes that they are not putting on a big campaign, and it will only be a small fundraiser. The ASA doesn’t know what sort of support for Kisses 4 CANFAR to expect, but from the donations, the candy grams, and the funds raised from Augustana’s Got Talent, they hope to raise approximately $200. Whether or not Augustana will participate in Kisses 4 CANFAR next year depends on the success of this year,
Chowdhury said. In 2013, there were 2.3 million new HIV infections globally, according to UNAIDS (United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS). This number continues to fall as more and more research on HIV/AIDS is done, but there is still much to be uncovered. The research that organizations like CANFAR funds would likely not be possible without the money that is received from the Kisses 4 CANFAR campaign. This February, students and staff at Augustana are encouraged to donate to this noble cause, and help kiss HIV and AIDS goodbye!
Alberta Labour Force Stats Look Promising Jenn Laskosky DAG WRITER Alberta recorded its fifth consecutive gain in the Conference Board of Canada’s Help-Wanted Index last December. This index is based upon the number of new jobs posted on [job-search] websites during that specific month. It consists of 79 different websites across Canada. Alberta’s index rose
3.5 points, leading many to believe that employment would continue to increase in the coming year. This number suggests better days ahead for all labour market jobs. It has also been suggested by the board that the labour market will add 1,200 market jobs in this first month of 2014.
PHOTO: Employment and Social Development Canada
The job prospects for most Canadian city areas has been classified as positive or stable. However, there are a few exceptions: in Kitchener, Cambridge, Waterloo, and Edmonton, the prospects look to be on the negative side. Alberta had the country’s second lowest unemployment rate at 4.8 percent
last December. However, in recent years Alberta has had the fastest year-over-year growth in employment. Making up 69.3 percent of Canada’s overall employment growth. The percentage of employed people age 55 and over in Alberta is around 47 percent, which is the highest in Canada. One of many reasons that people in Alberta seem to be choosing to stay employed and avoid retirement, is because of the cost of living in Alberta.. With the cost of housing and living constantly increasing, it is no surprise that many people feel the need to stay employed longer than expected-they need to have sufficient funds for retirement. Canada’s construction industry is currently leading the country’s economy. Employment levels in construction are at all-time record highs, one out of every seventeen Canadians earn a living in construction. In Alberta, with the increasing [development] of
the oil sands, the need for supporting infrastructure such as pipelines or transportation means an increase in opportunities for construction jobs. It is expected that due to the amount of people who will retire between 2013 and 2021 about 30,000 new construction workers will need to be replaced. This will, of course, help to decrease the unemployment rates. According to Petroleum Human Resources Council of Canada, over the next ten years Alberta’s oil sands workforce is expected to rise 73%. This industry accounts for 15% of Canada’s oil and gas industry. Job opportunities all across Alberta are rising; even jobs in fields such as education, health, and the chiropractic field. The outlook for young adults searching for careers looks positive in Alberta, with the province forecasting to create 607,000 new jobs by 2021.
The Dagligtale | February 10, 2014 | 3 ACAC Curling Regionals If were to ask the Men’s, Women’s, or Mixed Viking Curling Team if they were prepared for the ACAC Curling Regionals, the answer would be a resounding YES. I had the pleasure of interviewing Andrew Evans, Lynnelle Mahe, and Coach Roger Galenza on January 28th to see how the season had been going and what they were doing to prepare for the ACAC regionals that took place on January 31. Curling was brought to Canada [from Scotland] in the 19th century, and has been a popular sport for Canadians ever since. There is written evidence of a “Montreal Curling Club” forming in 1807. That marks at least 206 years of curling being played as a sport in Canada. How about in Alberta? When asked, Coach Galenza was able to tell us that “I believe 1973 was the first competition, there is a plaque on the original trophyNAIT won it”. This means that curling has been part of the ACAC since at least 1973, and there has only been one year where apparently no one won.” Galenza speculates this might have been for a lack of teams, but in any case, one year between 1973 and today is a
Jessica Stambaugh DAG WRITER
pretty strong history for any association. This year there is no concern about not having enough teams, and Augustana was excited and ready to participate in this year’s regionals. Andrew Evans, a fifth year curler for Augustana, says the Mixed team was “pretty relaxed and ready” going into this weekend. Evans has been curling with Augustana for five years: three years on the Augustana mixed team, and two on the men’s team. He may have been curling with Augustana for five years, but altogether he has been curling for the last fifteen. This is not an uncommon story on the teams; Lynnelle Mahe, a first year at Augustana and on the Women’s curling team, has been curling for ten years. When asked, she agreed with Evan’s statement going into the regionals, “We are excited and relaxed … we are feeling good”. Mahe explained that just a few weekends prior the Women’s curling team won the Ladies Bonspiel and it left them feeling a bit more confident for the regionals. Of course, “not too confident, but it helps”. So what can we attribute to the confidence of our Augustana Viking Curling Teams? It seems to boil down
to a confidence in each other, the amazing ability to work together on an impeccable level, and the driven nature of the individuals on the team. Team dynamics are difficult to control on the individual level, but the curling teams have managed to find a way to work together successfully and still keep the fun in the game. Galenza is “amazed” at how the women’s team has managed to connect on such a successful level. He believes in allowing the teams to work out the team dynamics for themselves. Of course, this is not to say that he won’t pitch in to make sure everyone works together, but for the most part, he does not have to. All three curling teams for the Vikings work together virtually flawlessly. Galenza explained that the tactics for practices during the season involve a combination of individual drills to strengthen their personal skills, along with practice games to learn to work together. With the upcoming competition practices took a more collective turn. Instead of a focus on drills to hone individual skills, the teams have been practicing by playing games against each other.
To Plug or Not to Plug: Power Parking Stalls on Campus The frustration with the lack of power parking stalls on campus is not a new one, and many students have made a comment on power parking stalls, or lack thereof. So what is the reason Augustana doesn’t have any? A conversation with a few students and faculty has shed some light on both sides of the discussion. In discussion with various students, there is a definite opinion that not only would power parking be convenient, [but that] the lack of power parking stalls has caused issues in the past, particularly for students who live on campus and can have their vehicles sitting for more than just a school day. I can personally attest to this as well--last year there was more than one occasion in which I had appointments in Edmonton and had to cancel due to my car not starting. I was the proud recipient of a portable car booster for Christmas because my parents were tired of me calling, stranded, at school. Of course, I drove an older vehicle and it was by no means in the best condition. As fourth year student Haley Amendt said in response to the lack of power parking on campus, it is not uncommon for students to
drive older vehicles that often do not function well in extreme colds. As such, Amendt says (and many other students would agree) that “it would be extremely beneficial to have plug in parking stalls on campus”. Other students interviewed about their thoughts on power parking stalls had similar comments and stories of being unable to start their cars--currently one student [has been] unable to move their car for quite some time, resulting in a dead car battery. Jessica Stambaugh, also a fourth year student, spoke of her first year, when power parking was still available [beside 50th Street and across from the theatre building]. As she noted, it makes sense to have it available. Alberta can get very cold, and power parking allows vehicles to function better and last longer. So what is Augustana doing? Why are power parking stalls a thing of the past? Both Mark Chytracek, the Director of Student and Resident Services, and Chris Blades, the Facilities and Operations Manager, were able to shed some light on the situation. Blades said that the wiring to the parking lot that had power parking stalls was
This helps them, as Galenza explained, “look at what-if situations” and “know what they can do in more situations”. Another advantage the Augustana Curling team has is that eight players have taken the Curling-Coach certificate. This course taught them how to coach curling to young children and adults. The benefit of taking this course, according to Coach Galenza, is that it “made them better curlers; helps you recognize things you should be doing that maybe has been forgotten”. Of course, competitions are not the only focus of the Vikings Curling team. Augustana also looks after the Camrose Little Rockers program. This program accepts children from age 6 to 17 of any skill and teaches them how to curl. It is a noncompetitive program that is led by the Vikings team. The children learn “curling etiquette, meet new people, it is cheaper than hockey, and potentially less travel time”. The team works together for this; most nights sees 3 or 4 team members and some parents that help out as instructors. Coach Galenza believes that Little Rockers is “great for Augustana, the kids look
up to the curlers.” He also says that “parents love that university students are helping their kids”. This program, combined with the CurlingCoach certificate that some of the team members have taken, gives the curling team an added advantage going in to the ACAC regionals. More information about the Little Rockers program can be found on the Augustana website. Between the amount of practices and the Little Rockers Program the Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed Curling team put in an impressive amount of hours to prepare for the ACAC regionals on January 31st. This year, the Men’s team finished in third place at the regional competition with a record of 7-3, the Mixed team also finished in third place with a record 5-5, and the Ladies team went into a tie-breaker game for third place with a record of 6-4, and lost, putting them at fourth place. The Men’s and Mixed teams will move on to the provincial championship at Lakeland College from February 21-23.
Kate Anderson DAG WRITER
very near the end of it lifespan, and doubted that the stalls would hold up for even five to ten more years. Regardless of whether the Arts Centre was built or not, the power parking stalls would not have continued. Looking at it from a financial perspective, as Chytracek pointed out, to cost to fix the previous wiring was far beyond the revenue one of these power parking stalls produced. When they were available in the past, around 40% of the 90 power parking stalls were reserved for staff, and the rest for students, at a mere $250.00 per year. While that might initially seem like a pretty penny for college students, we should keep in mind that a parking lot at main campus costs $118.10/ month, no power included. While main campus is currently discussing reducing their parking capacity, that is less of an option in Camrose, as there is no public transportation available to students here. Many of the students on campus also drive in from rural homes, so public transport might not be a perfect solution either. To install power parking stalls now would not only require the cost of new wiring. Blades says the most logical parking lot to install
power parking stalls would be the Ravine, and the current supply of electricity that powers the seven buildings is maxed out. Chytracek also adds that the Ravine has remained unpaved for future building flexibility, and as Augustana has a relatively small campus, any further consideration to power parking stalls is unlikely until the plans for the campus are solidified. Essentially, while the possibility for power parking stalls in the Ravine is still being looked into in regards to pricing, it is highly unlikely that there will be a cost efficient case for installing a new power supply, wiring, and stalls in the Ravine, especially when the future building
plans are still uncertain and the Ravine may have potential for a field house or other options in years to come. Unfortunately, power parking stalls are not in the near future for students and staff at Augustana, but Chytracek pointed out something that has been an interesting result of the whole issue. Students are willing to help each other out, whether it is by giving each other a boost or a ride, and while there does not seem to be a possibility for power parking, we have made it a few years without just fine, thanks to the willingness of students to lend a hand.
To plug or not to plug? PHOTO: Anderson Gael
4 | February 10, 2014 | The Dagligtale State of the Union: A Canadian’s Perspective on Obama’s Address Ian Anderson DAG EDITOR About a week and a half ago, U.S. President Barrack Obama gave the 2014 state of the union address to his country and the world. He hit on a number of sore issues like foreign policy, health care, education, the federal debt, and minimum wage. Everything he spoke about seemed optimistic, but the real question is whether he can actually act on his key points. Not only are Republicans against Obama, he has to deal with the fact that, according to CNN, almost 70% of Americans have a pessimistic outlook about America’s future. The state of the union address is meant for the President to update congress on how the country is doing. Over the years this has grown from an address to congress,
to a nationwide reassurance policy. Nothing in Obama’s speech was unexpected, hard hitting, or based in reality. He stated that the affordable care act was improving American lives, but what about the people who have lost coverage because of it? Obama proposed to raise minimum wage, which is a decent idea to help the American people. That is, until you consider that this will only affect about 220,000 federal employees, with new contracts, and wouldn’t happen until 2015. Definitely a big win there, Mr. President. This action will spark the debate of whether minimum wage should or needs to go up. Is a janitor going to do an extra $2.85 of work per hour? Should the government be spending more money
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considering its massive debt? These are the types of questions we will see in the coming months. Elementary education reform was another major point, and I think it is interesting that the official Q&A after the address focused on post-secondary education instead. During the address Obama mentioned that VicePresident Joe Biden was working with special interest groups to ensure that Americans get the training they need to get into good paying jobs. Sounds great, I honestly have no issues with this. The only education questions asked during the Q&A, though, were about student debt and affordability of post-secondary schooling. I think it was really unfortunate that the real issue over
the structure of the United States’ education system was overlooked by the people. This all ties back to the huge argument about student loans, and the cost of tuition in the United States. One of the arguments brought up during Q&A was that education is a right and therefore the government should be doing more in lowering costs. Primary and secondary education are regarded as a right, but post-secondary doesn’t make the list. I think that the viewers who brought this up should have listened to that part of the speech a little more closely. Unfortunately there were six or seven questions about post-secondary costs, and the panel kept giving the same answer: that the government is trying to help.
The main point of the speech that concerned me is that Obama is now willing to use any means at his disposal to get legislation through the house and into law, as he has done with minimum wage and immigration reform. Where was this mentality during his whole time in office? Just now, at the end of term, he is willing to try and make some progress? I am happy that he is finally trying to get something accomplished but for me, it is several years too late. Overall the state of the union was a pat on the back, a few flash words, Obama stating he will take action after years of inaction, and very small steps on education reform. All in all, it was a waste of my two hours.
The Dagligtale | February 10, 2014 | 5 Nordlys Film and Arts Festival: February 14-16 Tiffani Blatchford DAG WRITER With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, a classy evening to take your date to might be hard to plan. Lucky for those unprepared romantics, the Nordlys Film and Arts Festival will be happening at the Bailey theatre from February 14-16. Their website, nordlysfestival.com, explains that the main purpose of the festival is to combine “awardwinning films from around the world with live performances by talented musical guests.” Although many of the films and acts are international, the festival still strives to highlight local musicians, and is proud to be showing two Alberta films this year, one of which is from the Camrose area. This will be the Nordlys Festival’s fifth year at the Bailey theatre, but it was originally started fifteen years ago and was called the Pretty Hill Film Festival. The closing ceremony of the festival still includes the Pretty Hill Award presentation. The Nordlys website explains that “Nordlys, which is Norwegian for “northern lights”, is powered by a passionate group of community volunteers and has received generous support from community sponsors. And like the aurora borealis, the festival continues to inspire and transport its audience.”
According to Nordlys Film & Arts Society board member Erika Heiberg, “the festival is about having fun and promoting community in the winter, when it’s cold and dark.” Heiberg has been involved with the festival since
live music between the films.” The films featured come from all around the world and cover a wide array of topics, from reimagined fairy tales to child soldiers, matchmaking to residential schools. Some of the films come from as far
documentary, called The Auctioneer, is a about a man who works as both an undertaker and an auctioneer who specializes in selling family farms. The Auctioneer has been broadcast on CBC’s documentary channel.
its beginning, when it was still held at Augustana. She had begun attending it when it was still called the Pretty Hill Film Festival, and became a student member of the board soon thereafter. Steven Hansen, a founding member of Nordlys, is quoted on the website, saying that the festival is a “marathon weekend of movie -watching and appreciation of the arts, and like most marathons, Nordlys leaves our festival-goers feeling like they covered a lot of ground. Firstly, we take them on a trip that spans continents and cultures, showing them firstrate films from around the world—and then we enhance that experience with great
away as Croatia, Spain, India, and Denmark. On opening night, which falls on Valentine’s Day, the celebration of arts and culture will begin with a black and white formal cocktail hour with music by the Camrose Composite High School Jazz Combo, followed by the opening ceremonies. The first film of the festival will be Blancanieves, a black and white film from Spain which will reflect the formal Black and White theme of the first evening. The film is a version of Snow White set in 1920s Spain. On Saturday, February 15, a local film will be shown, followed by a Q&A. The creator of the film, Hans Olsen, will be appearing. His
Nordlys’ Saturday night headliner will be the Newfoundland trio called The Once. The festival’s website says, “The Once are a perfect fit for Nordlys—they are expressive and lyrical. They are exquisite musical storytellers.” Although a lot of music from Newfoundland is inspired by loud pubs and highly energized taverns, The Once gets their inspiration from “a quieter and more thoughtful place.” The band relies mainly on their voices and on acoustic instruments including guitar, fiddle, mandolin, and bouzouki. Other featured musicians include Sebastian Barrera, Aaron Olofson and Jessica Dostie, Wetaskiwin
Strings, and The Skinner Family, all performing in the festival’s segment known as Café Voltaire. Heiberg says that many of the musical acts in the festival are found because they are local and know board members personally. Augustana’s Learning and Beyond office also helps with the lineup by keeping in contact with past performers who can help to connect other acts to the festival. Many past performers are eager to return to Nordlys and provide great local music for another year. In keeping with the community spirit, Nordlys depends on the help of volunteers. Volunteers typically will work a six hour shift, from 12pm-6pm or 6pm12am. Currently Nordlys is searching for volunteers to work as ushers, concession operators, and bartenders. Volunteering is a great way to get involved with the community, and perhaps to occupy time on Valentine’s Day if you don’t have a date. Volunteers get to watch movies and musicians for free, and get to eat a volunteer appreciation dinner. If interested in volunteering for the festival contact info@nordlysfestival.com.
6 | February 10, 2014| The Dagligtale 2014 Olympics: Team Canada The XXII Olympic Winter Games are finally here. Taking place in Sochi, Russia, anticipations are high as team Canada has many medal hopefuls for this winter games. Some participants may even be from your community. Traditionally Canada has been very strong in the Winter Olympics, and this year will be no exception. There are strong competitors in nearly every event ranging from hockey to cross country skiing. Hockey, one of Canada’s favorite sports, will be a major part of many people’s Olympic viewing experience. Canada’s men’s team is very strong this year. Coach Mike Babcock [leads] a strong roster of NHL players including Jay Bouwmeester, Roberto Luongo, Drew Doughty, Patrice Bergeron and John Tavares. With high hopes to win gold for the second time in a row, team Canada stands a strong chance against many opponents including USA, Russia and many others. In the 2010 Vancouver Olympics Canada put forth a very strong bobsled team and once again is sending medal contenders in several differ-
Olen Hillaby DAG WRITER
ent classes, including women’s two person sled, led by Kaillie Humphries. Humphries will be defending her gold from 2010 and has also just won gold in the overall women’s world championship. On the men’s side, Canada is sending three each of the 2 and 4 man teams. All these teams’ pilots (Lyndon Rush, Justin Kripps and Chris Spring) have been on the world cup podium this year. Team Canada is very prevalent in figure skating and is sending more competitors than any other country. With seventeen skaters in total representing Canada there is a good chance that Canada will stand on the pod i u m . Canadian snowboarders have done very well in the Olympics since snowboarding’s debut in Nagasaki, Japan. A new sport being added to the snowboard and ski classes this year is slopestyle, where athletes attempt various kinds of tricks while achieving the highest altitude possible off of jumps. Canada has a great chance of winning medals in both the men’s and women’s classes. Several
Canadian competitors are fresh off of Gold medals in the X Games and World Championship, including Mark McMorris, Max Parrot, and Sebastien Toutant. In snowboard cross Maëlle Ricker hopes to defend her Vancouver Olympic gold. The current World Cup leader, Dominique Maltais is a hopeful on winning gold medals for Canada as well. Team Canada will be sending a powerful alpine ski team to Sochi this year with several of the famous “Canadian Cowboys” attending. Erik Guay has recently won his 21st world cup win, breaking the Canadian record for World Cup finishes in Alpine Skiing. Other Canadians shooting for the podium include Jan Hudec, Michael Janyk, Manuel OsborneParadis, and Benjamin Thomsen, all of whom have competed in the World Cup circuit. Canadians also shouldn’t be underestimated in free style skiing. Moguls champions Alex Bilodeau and Mikaël Kingsbury are fresh of their part in Canada’s sweep of the podium in the World Cup. The women’s team will feature the three Dufour-
Lapointe sisters: Justine, Chloé and Maxime, who are all in the top five of the World Cup standings. Boasting some of the best training facilities in the world, Canada has become very well known for having a very powerful speed skating team, in both long and short track settings. Coming off of powerful performances in the last four winter Olympics, the Canadian speed skating team has experienced a large amount of funding that has helped to attract some of the world’s best coaches to Canada. This additional funding is combined with world class indoor long track facilities in Vancouver, Calgary, and Quebec City [to encourage athletes and coaches to train in Canada]. Canadian skaters are setting the bar high for Olympic Gold in several events. Charles Hamelin, a short track skater that won multiple gold medals in Vancouver, will be returning in both the 500 meter and team relay events. Marianne StGelais, also a multiple medal winner in Vancouver, will be returning to the sprint and relay events. The long track team is also sending many
former medal winners and is hoping to improve on their record breaking year in 2010. In 2010 Canadian speed skaters won a record fourteen medals and hope to improve their record in Sochi this year. In 2010 Canada won twenty-six medals in total, fourteen of which were gold. Team Canada managed to bring in more gold medals than any other country and is set to do so once again in 2014. Team Canada is strong and ready to compete at their highest abilities throughout the entire Olympic Games in Sochi. Many Canadian athletes will be attending the games for the first time and some even have the proud honor to represent Canada in sports that are being held for the first time in the Olympics, like women’s ski jumping. The 2014 Olympic Winter Games will be covered full time online and on many TV channels, including CTV as Canada’s official source for Olympic coverage.
PHOTO: Sochi Winter Games website, http://www.sochi2014.com
People chatting in front of the drink machines in the cafeteria.
People who Snapchat or take selfies in class.
Lack of plug-ins in the forum.
What grinds your gears?
When people don’t know when to stop talking in class.
The Dagligtale | February 10, 2014 | 7 Senate Reform in Canada SUBMITTED BY Ari Evans On January 29th Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau shocked Ottawa by kicking out Liberal senators from the Liberal Caucus. Although they will continue to be Liberal party members they will not be able to refer to themselves as Liberals in senate or be required to attend a weekly caucus meeting. In November of last year, at the behest of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Supreme Court considered whether or not the Federal Government could unilaterally require senators to be elected, require the PM to “consider” elected senators when appointing new ones, impose term limits on Senators, or abolish the Senate completely. It is expected to issue a ruling sometime next year. Canadians have been hemming and hawing about Senate reform throughout the entire lifetime of our confederation, the latest attempt having been a part of the 1992 Charlottetown Accord. In August of last year the NDP launched rolluptheredcarpet.ca, in favour of abolishing the Senate. Now with every party leader supporting some kind of reform, we might see some real change. There are numerous options: Keep the Senate as it is: The Senate could continue to function the way it does right now, with appointments made by the PM serving until they’re forced to retire at 75. (Although, why should 2.4 million Atlantic Canadians collectively get 30 Senators between them and the 4.4 million Canadians of B.C. only get 6?) Abolish the Senate: The metaphorical nuclear option of Senate reform is
simply to completely eliminate it. Who needs a house of sober second thought anyway? (Not Greece, Taiwan, Denmark, Finland, Israel, Norway, or any other unicameral legislature in the world.) Elect the Senators: Whether in the form of Triple E (equal, elected and effective) reforms, or having the PM at least consider appointing from a list of elected senators-in-waiting, having the Upper House be elected is certainly an attractive option. (At the same time, it seems redundant to have two elected bodies creating and vetoing bills in the name of the people.) Appoint Senators by lottery: There’s also the possibility of having senators chosen by a lottery scheme from a list of Canadian citizens over the age of 35 that have their taxes in order and have never been convicted of an indictable offence. (Certainly not a mainstream idea, but there are more options out there than what our three major parties are giving us.) Remove Parties from the Senate: Why don’t we make them all independents, a la Justin Trudeau? The Senate could stay the way it is now, with a little jiggering here (fairer representation) and a little jaggering there (a mandate to be inclusive with regards to race and class for example) and voila--the Upper House will hopefully be better at reigning in the “democratic excesses” of the Lower House. It’s an interesting time in Canadian politics right now; it’s not often we get a chance to affect th is sort of reform successfully. If you see an option here that you like, inform your MP of your thoughts!
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8 | February 10, 2014 | The Dagligtale February 2014 SUNDAY
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7 Ugly sweater day
8 Winter Formal
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13 ASA Noms close Augustana’s Got Talent
14 Valentine’s Day Nordlys film fest
15 Basketball vs. GMU Nordlys film fest
16 Nordlys film fest
17 Reading Week Family Day
18 Reading Week
19 Reading Week
20 Reading Week
21 Reading Week Curling provincials
22 Curling provincials Hockey vs. Portage
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24 Classes resume
25 Alumni lecture: Bartlett
26 Pride Week Pink Shirt Day Philips vocal masterclass
27 Pride Week
28 Pride Week Hockey vs. CUCA
March 1 Pride Week Preview Day Hockey vs. CUCA
2 Pride Week
3 Pride Week
4 Pride Week
5 Pride Week
6 Pride Week
7 Pride Week
8 Pride Week
Soup Supper: Tuesdays 5-6 Chapel: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays 10-10:20
Book Review: Never Have I Ever Jennifer Ha DAG WRITER Never Have I Ever, written by Kourtney Jason and Worm Miller, is a quite self explanatory book. There are no chapters, no citations-- it’s purely filled with the drinking game “Never Have I Ever”. The book boasts a thousand prompts over the course of 252 pages of “the world’s most revealing game”. The introduction provides the rules for the party game: participants are in a circle, drink of choice in hands, and take turns flipping to a random page and reading out a confession that applies to him or her, which is said in the form of “Never have I ever…”. If the rest of the participants have done said activity, they take a drink. Alternately, the participants can start the game with their fingers up. Instead of taking a drink, one would put a finger down. The back of the book lists “exposed secrets, confessed sex-capades, shared life experiences, and re-lived embarrassments” as being in the book. The game has always been a favourite of mine to play at parties. Laughter and bonding result after every game, but it does have hazardous potentials. Sometimes, the game gets too explicit,
making some players uncomfortable. At other times, the game can get dull, missing the goal of getting to know each other in an intimate level. The game often plateaus before it reaches its peak due to the participants’ running out of ideas. Never Have I Ever turned out to be a hit at the parties I brought it to, providing an immediate icebreaker for attendees. For the most part, the suggestions were right on target for the early-to -mid-twenties crowd, with confessions ranging from sex and relationships to school and work to relatable life events. At one time, the game featured constant coming and going of participants, meaning the newcomers reading some of the old prompts again, simply because they were the only ones worth mentioning. A good portion of the suggestions seemed to be unexciting space fillers such as “... been to the hospital”, “...held a bocce ball in my hands”, and “...written in a journal”. Another portion were ridiculously unlikely. Some examples for this category includes “... snuck drugs onto a plane” and “... had sex
in a cemetery”. While it was certain that most people would have, in fact, never done these suggestions, using them would mean that likely, nobody would drink. There was also a lot of repetition. For example, at least three of the suggestions were variants of “gone to school drunk” while at least five featured public sex. Overall, out of the thousand confessions the book boasts, only about half are ones that I would deem as “usable”. Using the book for the game also means that there is a very sma l l w i nd o w f or “specialized” questions that feature especially unique experiences of the people you’re playing with. Due to the actual number of usable confessions, I don’t know if Never Have I Ever is worth its suggested price of $14.95. However, if you’re able to find it for under ten dollars, I’d recommend it as a fun and easy activity for parties.
RATING: 7/10 Overall, if you want a few cheap laughs at the expense of your friends, buy this book.